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1
Write fortunes on strips of paper.
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2
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat to 400F.
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3
Butter a 6-inch-wide strip lengthwise across middle of 2 baking sheets (from one short side to the other).
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4
Sift together flour, five-spice powder, and a pinch of salt into a bowl and stir in sugar.
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5
Whisk egg whites in a bowl just until foamy.
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6
Add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.
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7
Put 2 teaspoons batter on 1 side of buttered area of 1 baking sheet and spread evenly into a round about 3 1/2 inches in diameter using back of a spoon or a small offset spatula.
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8
Place 2 teaspoons more batter on other half of buttered area and form another round.
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9
Bake rounds until golden around edge and paler gold in center, 5 to 6 minutes.
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10
Remove rounds from oven and, working quickly, flip 1 cookie over on baking sheet with a spatula.
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11
Transfer same cookie to a work surface, then put a fortune in center of inverted cookie and fold cookie in half (cookie will be hot).
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12
Lift up cookie with both hands by corners and press center of folded bottom edge perpendicularly against the edge of a countertop, making a crease.
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13
Continue folding in same direction to bring corners together to create a C shape.
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14
Hold for a few seconds while cookie cools and shape sets, then set aside to cool.
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15
Quickly invert and fold second hot cookie, this time working on baking sheet to keep cookie warm and malleable.
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16
Make 2 more cookies in same manner on second buttered baking sheet, then continue with remaining batter, using a buttered cool baking sheet for each batch.
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17
*Available at Asian markets and specialty foods shops.
